Shortly before World War I there was opposition from different social parties about how their country should participate in the war. A founding leader of the Social Democratic Women’s Party, Clara Zetkin wrote in her magazine, Die Gleichheit, about her opposition of the war from a woman’s point of view.
As wives, mothers and sisters of soldiers, as housewives facing the difficulties of food production, and as mothers of small children growing up with out their fathers, women had to bear terrible psychological burdens. The physical demands which women had imposed on them by the increasing shortage of food were made even worse by physical and psychological exertion at work.
Publications such as Die Gleichheit were an excellent way for women to relate their personal feelings of the war as well as learn from other aspects. Dates, as well as future ideas, were mentioned in so women across the country could be informed when peace demonstrations were being held or when the next conference was going to take place.
During the First World War (1914-1919) women started to appear more in the male sector due to the fact that many of the men were enlisting in the war. They participated in the labour market as doctors, teachers and factory workers. But many of these jobs didn’t last too long because once the injured soldiers returned they received their jobs back. At this time many women felt discriminated due to the gender stereotypes, such as women were not supposed to work and belonged in the home. This is similar to the experiences women had working in the United States at this time. However, many German women did not stop from joining the workforce. Since women were working more than ever they put pressure on the wages as well as stress on the working-class family. The women’s movement fought for higher wages and better paying positions. It’s also ironic how a terrible war can bring so much triumph to a country. Even though many women joined the work force and finally were able to experience labour outside the home, the laws to protect these women were instantly removed. Since a lot of men were serving in the military, this allowed more participation in the public sector for women. More females in this sphere allowed better access for young girls to attend class as well as other opportunities.
Finally in 1918 the bourgeois women’s movement as well as the socialist women’s movement received what they struggled for so long, the right for women to vote. However, the distribution of political power in the parliament made it difficult for them to achieve their goals immediately. Also, this new electoral code made men and women (husband and wife) vote separately, which was important for women because it allowed them to vote for what they really wanted, and not be influenced by their husbands. The year of 1918 was also the fourth year of the First World War. This meant that German women were experiencing the hardest part, waiting for or seeing their loved ones come home.
Hundreds of thousands of them lost their husbands, brothers, sons and lovers—or got them back blinded, crippled, or nervous wrecks; or read of them simply as ‘Missing’, that dreaded noncommittal little word in the casualty lists.
In the early 1920’s unemployment was skyrocketing. The entire country was jobless. The women who worked incredibly hard during the long years of the war were now dismissed by the demobilization decrees. This decree stated that servicemen should be allowed back into the economy and that individuals who were not unconditionally dependent on their wages especially should be dismissed. This also created hostility towards female labor since men and women were fighting for the same type of labor. This created anti-feminist attitudes towards women who fought for the jobs they used to have. In 1930 the Bruning Government dismissed married women from all aspects of public service. This shows how their own government was against their participation in the work force.
In 1923 the highest number of unemployment was reached and most of the unemployed citizens were women. To ease the pain of unemployment women decided to join social work groups. One committee called the “Central Committee for Workers’ Welfare,” organized volunteers. The social work that was performed consisted of providing sewing classes, care for unemployed girls, housework training, care of pregnant women, domestic help, and even the borrowing of baby equipment. Over 2000 volunteers helped to provide these services. These services gave the unemployed “work” and it gave the “needy” assistance.
In 1928 the International Women’s Conference was held in Brussels. The German
women brought to attention the socialist demands of the working-class movement’s political wing, and the terms of women’s involvement in the times of war. This year was also a time of high recruitment for women to be involved in politics; therefore they held 25 conferences in 19 regions concentrating on the women’s movement.
The 1930’s brought out new elections as well as new candidates. Adolph Hitler was one candidate that spoke to women and told them not exactly what they wanted to hear. Hitler told citizens in October of 1932 that women belonged in the home and not in the political arena. He also commented that each mother in giving children to Germany was worthy of being called a hero and being waited on hand and foot by the nation. The First World War triggered women’s involvement in the public sphere, and so did the Second World War. The First World War is what actually got the women organized into informal groups and set the women’s movement.
After the second world war Germany was separated into the East and the West. Since jobs were hard to find, many decided to remain at home and become successful homemaking individuals. However in the 1950’s and 60’s work was optional and the task of homemaking was thought of as a paid occupation. And of course many magazines published the attitudes and views women had at this time. One magazine explained the breakdown of the costs a husband would need to pay his wife for all the work she does around the house. Education became a huge part of the West German women’s movement in the 1970’s. More secondary schools as well as universities were created. This promoted students, especially women, to speak out on local issues. At this time women’s studies classes were being created at all different type of universities. Most importantly women in West Germany felt that they were over qualified for the occupations that were open to them, and this was unacceptable to them. They insisted that a more diverse job market was desperately needed for women.
Since the Berlin wall fell down, women’s movements have still been active but in a
different way. The difference between the past and present deals more with the way the movement has been structured. Currently these organizations are becoming more professional. NGO’s (Non-Governmental Organizations) were formed in 1989 soon after the country and feminist’s movements united. This meant however that these movements were becoming increasingly dependent on the state. The agendas of the political parties in Germany have also seemed less popular for women issues.
What makes the German women’s movement so fascinating is how it started. Without the beginning movements taking place in the Renaissance who knows where the German women’s movement would be today. The early history of the women’s movement is important because it explains the long struggles women encountered in the past. It also explains how long ago women were noticing and dealing with such controversial issues. Most notably the early movements developed a foundation for more movements to be created in the future.